Attachment for rocket motors



Sept. 3, 1957 H. A. MENEGHEWLLI 2,804,822

ATTACHMENT FOR ROCKET MOTORS Filed NOV.- 19, 1952' Q -INVENT01(.

/ jg HUGO -A. MENEGHELLI I ms 7' 5 6. (04M ATTORNEYS United States Patent ATTACNT FOR ROCKET MOTORS Hugo A. Meneghelli, China Lake, Calif., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application November 19, 1952, Serial No. 321,533

2 Claims. (Cl. 102-49) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be. manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to rocket ammunition and more I particularly to safety apparatus for use with same.

In the interests of safety, it has been the practice in the past to transport rocket ammunition to a forward war theatre depot, such as a staging or firing area, in disassembled condition to prevent propulsion of the ammunition which might accidentally or otherwise occur if it were transported in assembled condition and prematurely ignited by unauthorized means. While this practice has rendered the ammunition relatively safe, it has certain disadvantages in that the assembly of the ammunition must be made at a location where time and manpower are at a high premium, rather than at a rear depot where these elements are at a lesser premium, and also in that the disassembled components of the ammunition require greater shipping space than the assembled ammunition. It will be apparent, therefore, that such ammunition, if transported in assembled form, but still retaining the desired safety feature of being non-propulsive, would have considerable advantage over the former practice of transporting same in disassembled form. Additionally, the shipment of an assembled rocket eliminates the need for a shipping closure for the forward end of the motor tube, such closure, in certain types of rockets, consisting of a threaded plug which also serves as a protector for threads adjacent the forward end of the tube, thus reducing the overall cost of the rocket.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a removable attachment for an assembled and loaded rocket which renders it nonpropulsive until the attachment is removed.

Another object is to provide an attachment of the type referred to which may be applied to present rockets without altering the construction of the latter.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the rear end of a rocket showing the attachment, which forms the subject of the invention, in partially exploded relationship;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the rocket and attachment in assembled form;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section on line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a central section through an alternative form of ring which may be employed with the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a pin employed with the construction shown in Fig. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, rocket 10 is of any conventional type which, in the interests of simplicity of disclosure, has been illustrated as a non-spin type with a single nozzle 11 which conducts the gaseous thrust jet in a rearward direction to effect forward thrust of the rocket. The type illustrated is also provided with a circumferential retaining groove 12 which cooperates with the launching tube in a manner well understood in the art.

The attachment which forms the subject of the invention comprises, in general, a cylindrical integral cupshaped member 13, a cup-shaped member 14 consisting of two semi-cylindrical cup-shaped members 14a, 14b, an integral ring 15, and a bail 16 having radially inwardly projecting ends 17, 17.

Member 13 is provided with a circular wall 18 one end of 'which is closed by a wall 19, the cylindrical wall having a plurality of angularly spaced apertures 20 extending therethrough. Two part member 14 is provided with a circular wall 21 which telescopes over wall 18, wall 21 having a plurality of angularly spaced apertures 22 extending therethrough which are aligned with apertures 20. Member 14 is also provided with an annularly inwardly directed flange 23 which engages in groove 12. Ring 15 telescopes over wall 21 of member 14 and is restrained against axial movement in one direction by wall 24, of member 14, and in the other direction by bail ends 17, 17 which engage in aligned diametrically opposite pairs of apertures 25, 26 in walls 18, 21, respectively.

In the use of the attachment the rocket is fully assembled at a rear depot, in the same manner as it would formerly have been assembled at the forward depot, and the attachment applied thereto. The latter operation is effected by disposing member 13 within members 14, 14a and moving the latter radially inwardly until flange 23 engages within groove 12. Ring 15 is then telescoped over'member 14, the parts now appearing as shown in Fig. 3. Apertures 25, 26 are now aligned, which also aligns apertures 20, 22, and ends 17, 17 of bail 16, which is resilient, are sprung apart so that they may enter and snap into apertures 25, 26. The rocket and attachment are then lowered by the bail into a suitable cylindrical shipping container such as a can. The bail is so shaped that it may then be rotated to the position shown in Fig. 4 and lie adjacent wall 21 and within the container. As will be apparent, the bail forms a convenient means for removing the rocket from its container. When the rocket reaches a desired forward depot, the assembly procedures are merely reversed to remove the attachment after which the rocket is ready for firing.

In event the rocket is fired accidently or otherwise during shipment and while the attachment is disposed over the rear end of same the gases passing through nozzle 11 will be deflected into a plane perpendicular to the rocket axis and will pass radially through aligned apertures 20, 22. The number of apertures and the spacing thereof is so chosen that the thrust in any particular radial direction is nullified by the thrust in a diametrically opposite radial direction.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate an alternative form of the invention wherein inwardly directed ends 17a, 17a of bail 16a are pivotally connected to ring 15a, rather than to members 13, 14 as in the embodiment previously described. This construction has the advantage that if the parts become corroded and the ring is not readily removable greater manual force may be applied to the ring by the bail to remove the ring. When this construction is employed a headed pin 17b extends through the pairs of apertures 25, 26 to prevent unauthorized removal of the ring. Any suitable locking means may be employed on the pin, such as a snap ring 28, fitting in a suitable groove in the pin, such locking devices being conventional and well known. Both ring constructions may be provided with cut-outs or notches 29 which may receive an end of a pry tool to aid in removing rings which are not readily removable.

While a non-spin type of rocket has been illustrated for simplicity of diselosure, it will become apparent that the rocket may be of the spin stabilized type having a plurality of angularly spaced canted nozzles which effect directions in a plane perpendicular to the axis of therocket. 7

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A thrust nullifier for a rocket, comprising; a gas defiector device adapted to be removably secured to the rocket and disposed .adiacent the rear end thereof constructed and arranged to deflect gas issuing from the rear end of the rocket to such radial directions that no substantial transverse forces are applied to the rocket, whereby the rocket remains substantially immovable when gas issues therefrom, said device comprising a tubular memher having angularly spaced apertures in its peripheral wall, and a wall closing one end of the peripheral wall adapted to deflect gas issuing rearwardly from the rocket to directions to issue substantially radially outwardly through the apertures, said tubular member being secured to the rear end of the rocket by a multi-part tubular memher having an inwardly directed flange on one end thereof adapted to engage in a peripheral groove in the rocket, the muttirpart member having a plurality of angularly spaced apertures in its peripheral Wall aligned with the apertures in the tubular member, and a removable ring surrounding the rnul-ti-part tubular member adapted to re- 1 tain the latter secured to the rocket.

2. A thrust nullifier for a rocket of the type having an external circumferential launcher retainer groove adjacent its rear end and at least one nozzle adjacent its rear end through which gas may issue to normally ei-Tect axial thrust to the rocket, comprising; a tubular member having angularly spaced apertures in its peripheral wall, and a wall closing atherear lend of the peripheral wall adapted to deflect gas issuing rearwardly from the rocket to directions to issue substantially radially outwardly through the apertures, and means adapted to be disposed around the rocket and groove including peripherally extending means adapted to engage the groove, said first named means being connected o he tubular member in such manner to secure it to the rocket against rearward axial separation therefrom.

Refinance C d in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 

